Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[huth]

Drust made sense when considering that the Drust got a really abrupt ending where we didn't really learn anything about how Thros functions, and more importantly how, or even if they were connected to the Jailer.

I'd say it can still show up a short raid or dungeon, or even as a 9.2 zone where we need to go to them for whatever reason. Maybe even as a Mechagon equivalent.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Same regarding the June talk. Spirited Away truly is a masterpiece. I also love Ponyo, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle.

Speaking of which, what do you think 9.2's gonna be about?

I have hopes for something about Elune / Aardenweald and the drust, but to be honest I really do not know what to expect with Shadowlands. 9.1 took me by surprise too...

[TheFirstOnes]

I have hopes for something about Elune / Aardenweald and the drust, but to be honest I really do not know what to expect with Shadowlands. 9.1 took me by surprise too...

9.1 only shocked me cause I assumed we would assault the Maw LAST, and the raid would end off with us battling the Jailer at Oribos. But I didn't expect it to be first. Whatever the case, it appears the narrative so far is that Blizzard wants us to realize that Death alone cannot defeat the Jailer.

I've said this before, tho I don't think I've said it in this thread: Ardenweald is linked with the Plane of Life, and apparently the supposed Dreadlords have found a vulnerability within there. And what is keeping the Jailer locked inside the Maw? The Heart of the Forest, hence why his minions are apparently attacking there in 9.1, and are supposedly failing (So far). So, I would definitely not be shocked if the Gardens of Life are the next patch, and play like Argus, in that it's 3 zones, instead of 1.

[Breccia]

Nice to see 9.0.5 will show up next week. Seems like a mid to late May 9.1 is definitely possible.

I'm impressed something with as much potential as the Valor system was thrown in in a 9.0.something

(plus they buffed my favorite legendary)

[TheFirstOnes]

To those of you that are upset about the First Ones and how they "retcon the Light and Void's big bang"...

You guys do realize Chronicle only mentions the Light and Void shaping the Physical Universe, as well as the Nether, yes?

- - - Updated - - -

Like, they themselves never formed EVERY SINGLE PART OF THE COSMOS! Just reality and the Nether.

[Dracullus]

If we and Blizz has similar definition of "shortly after 9.0.5 launch", we should see working 9.1 build this month.

I really hope to see some changes to Anima system there. Today I gathered 15k for last building and have still shit ton to buy. I just can't see myself building this shit 15x more times (little less, for transmog we don't have to build everything). Buildings need to be account wide.

We have first sign of change in 9.0.5, after some point guess invites for Venthyr party become account wide.

[Makorus]

If we and Blizz has similar definition of "shortly after 9.0.5 launch", we should see working 9.1 build this month.

I really hope to see some changes to Anima system there. Today I gathered 15k for last building and have still shit ton to buy. I just can't see myself building this shit 15x more times (little less, for transmog we don't have to build everything). Buildings need to be account wide.

We have first sign of change in 9.0.5, after some point guess invites for Venthyr party become account wide.

I swapped covenants this week and its honestly so stupid how I need to buy all the buildings again.

[Nathanyel]

I swapped covenants this week and its honestly so stupid how I need to buy all the buildings again.

I guess you don't mean that you were previously in your current Covenant, then swapped to another and came back. Yes, they have similar purposes, but they're different upgrades.

However, I hope they're introducing more alt catchup in 9.1, making them cheaper on alts.
Or just halve Anima costs overall.

[huth]

I guess you don't mean that you were previously in your current Covenant, then swapped to another and came back. Yes, they have similar purposes, but they're different upgrades.

Yeah, you're not "buying all the buildings again", you're buying different buildings with the same purpose. Why would building an Anima Conductor in Bastion result in one being present in Ardenweald?

[Nathanyel]

Or, y'know, actually increase weekly Anima gains. EU had non-Anima rewards for half of the recent Elite WQs (for the specific Callings, or Theater of Pain), while they were always Anima in the first few weeks.

[Sondrelk]

I guess you don't mean that you were previously in your current Covenant, then swapped to another and came back. Yes, they have similar purposes, but they're different upgrades.

However, I hope they're introducing more alt catchup in 9.1, making them cheaper on alts.
Or just halve Anima costs overall.

Doesnt even need to be a large catchup in 9.1 honestly. Some world quests that give 200+ anima each, a weekly or two for a decent chunk, and then not nerfing the Anima gains from Castle Nathria.

Combine that all together with the likely anima gains from the Torghast raid and we should be looking at an easy 3-4k anima each week. And considering that much of the anima is currently being spent on upgrading the buildings which is a one-time thing it won't take long to reach a tipping point where you get far more anima each week than you could ever spend.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

I personally would love to see many more expansions to come for WoW.


If the Light vs Void theme/story is considered to be the pinnacle of the story, in terms of the "final battle" to save the universe or whatever, then I do hope it is not the next expansion.


As much as this website hates the idea of a time skip, I think an expansion that puts the focus back on Azeroth after a significant amount of time passed would be ideal. It would be the perfect time for another world revamp (#TeamWorldRevamp) and gives Blizzard carte blanche to introduce new characters/factions/enemies and deem them as important as they want. To us, the players, these characters/factions/enemies appeared out of thin air but to the world of Azeroth they have been around for a while, or something.


"What, you didn't know the Mongrel Horde of Kalimdor is now the biggest threat to the continent? The collective faction of centaurs, quillboars, harpies and satyrs don't seem that threatening to you, Champion of Azeroth? Where have you been the past ____ years? They are brutal!"


But I can also see that being a cop out, so who knows.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Or, y'know, actually increase weekly Anima gains. EU had non-Anima rewards for half of the recent Elite WQs (for the specific Callings, or Theater of Pain), while they were always Anima in the first few weeks.

Anima gains going up would be fine. More so IMO in raids but the amounts I'd suggest might be too much for Blizz. 100 for each raid boss down(Normal mode) 200 for heroic and 300 for mythic.

[Sondrelk]

Anima gains going up would be fine. More so IMO in raids but the amounts I'd suggest might be too much for Blizz. 100 for each raid boss down(Normal mode) 200 for heroic and 300 for mythic.

The biggest problem with increasing the amount of Anima is that once the large wall that is one-time upgrades of buildings are gone then you essentially get one thing each week with minimal grind.
If Blizzard adds too much anima then we can very quickly end up burning through all the anima rewards that I might remind everyone is a one-time thing, after which Anima is essentially pointless.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

The biggest problem with increasing the amount of Anima is that once the large wall that is one-time upgrades of buildings are gone then you essentially get one thing each week with minimal grind.
If Blizzard adds too much anima then we can very quickly end up burning through all the anima rewards that I might remind everyone is a one-time thing, after which Anima is essentially pointless.

There is all that cosmetic rewards.

[Sondrelk]

There is all that cosmetic rewards.

There is. But the point is that each cosmetic piece is a one time thing. There isnt anything you need anima for consistently. We might think we do ssince we are currently buying building upgrades that are indeed technically time-limited what with souls being weekly and technically posssible to lose coem next week, however once those are bought nothing actually requires the player to dump anima to stay afloat.

Compare this for instance to AP in previous expansions or resources. Each one required a somewhat steady influx to stay level. YOu couldnt simply stop farming AP, or oyu would end up behind. Similarly you needed resources to buy troops, send missions and for weekly quests.

My point is that the player really only needs a finite amount of Anima, and if Blizzard tunes the droprate of anima too high then we will hit the inevitable point in the expansion where you don't have anything to spend the anima on, rendering it pointless.

[Dracullus]

The biggest problem with increasing the amount of Anima is that once the large wall that is one-time upgrades of buildings are gone then you essentially get one thing each week with minimal grind.
If Blizzard adds too much anima then we can very quickly end up burning through all the anima rewards that I might remind everyone is a one-time thing, after which Anima is essentially pointless.

Personally I would keep Anima gains at it is, but reduce cost for rewards. And buildings should cost just souls for everyone after you get all 4 plots to max. Quick solution, easy to impelement (there is achiev for that), you have proven to get through grind once and for Blizzard it's still same timegate - just without any grind.

[arandomuser]

hope we get 3 patches and they dont try to rush this xpac like wod i know management has a 2 year time window for xpacs and its already delayed but i would rly like atleast 3 content patches this one

[Sondrelk]

Personally I would keep Anima gains at it is, but reduce cost for rewards. And buildings should cost just souls for everyone after you get all 4 plots to max. Quick solution, easy to impelement (there is achiev for that), you have proven to get through grind once and for Blizzard it's still same timegate - just without any grind.

If the idea is just making it easier for players that swap covenants then I could see it. The problem is just one that if oyu make the anima grind too easy then Anima will just become pointless quicker.
Obviously there is not inherently wrong with eventually making Anima pointless, but if it happens too early then the reward system that SL is built on is likely to collapse.

[Dracullus]

If the idea is just making it easier for players that swap covenants then I could see it. The problem is just one that if oyu make the anima grind too easy then Anima will just become pointless quicker.
Obviously there is not inherently wrong with eventually making Anima pointless, but if it happens too early then the reward system that SL is built on is likely to collapse.

Believe me, cosmetics alone still takes most of time and I'm asking rather for slowly lowering through expansion that giving it for free. If they keep current prices, most people won't farm this anyway. But buildings are really the worst. You farm 5-10-15k Anima just to unlock another layer of grind.

It's funny that while writing this I wonder what is even point of Anima, many of this rewards have second gate with offerings, souls or Renown. They could just spread rest rewards across different activies. Imo giving full transmog set + mount + weapon for campaign was VERY good idea.

But I think Anima is just relict of AP. Probably first sketch of SL was grinding Anima Power for new levels of soulbinds (new 'artifact'). Then it was redesigned when people were rioting against grind during BfA.